Electrical cable tap, branch or butt connectors are known for selectively connecting each of a plurality of tap terminals or contacts to each of a plurality of conductors in a multi-conductor cable according to a predetermined wiring scheme. The tap terminals usually are contained in a connector housing and, often, include insulation displacement portions for termination to the cable conductors by piercing the insulation of the cable upon closing of the tap connector.
One typical use for such connectors is in the wiring system for buildings wherein the system incorporates power, data and/or analog signals in a single system. In other words, for years, buildings, such as office buildings and residences, have had numerous separate electrical distribution systems. The distribution of power within buildings was unchanged for a very long period of time. However, a number of other electrical distribution systems have increasingly been employed within buildings. For example, data communications systems, telecommunications systems, audio and/or visual communications systems, and other power distribution systems may be present in a contemporary building, such as a typical residence.
Rather than allowing buildings to continue to employ such a large number of electrical distribution systems, attempts have been made to use certain cable configurations that combine power and data transmission conductors. Such a cable configuration most often has been in the form of a multi-conductor flat cable. Sometimes the flat cable is rolled into a generally cylindrical configuration and surrounded by a generally tubular shielding foil running the length of the cable. A variety of generally flat electrical connector assemblies have been designed for making tap, branch or butt connections to the conductors of such hybrid flat electrical cables that include both power and data transmission conductors. Some examples of such connector assemblies are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,782 to Bogiel et al, dated Dec. 29, 1992, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,541 to Comerci et al, dated Feb. 23, 1993, both of which are assigned to the assignee of this invention, as well as U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,536 to Miller et al, dated Jul. 19, 1988, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,388 to Dale et al, dated Mar. 5, 1991.
Problems now have been encountered in using hybrid cables incorporating both power and data transmission conductors, involving interference or "cross-talk" between the conductors. This is true with the flat hybrid cables described above. Attempts now have been made to go back to separate cables for separate electrical power and data transmission functions. This has caused considerable consternation in the industry, because extensive hardware has been designed to accommodate the generally flat tap, branch or butt connectors which have been designed for use with the flat hybrid cables. The present invention is directed to solving these problems by providing a new and improved cable tap assembly which has an overall envelope quite similar to the connectors presently designed for hybrid flat cables but which can interconnect separate or discrete cables that have different spacings, different conductor orders and the like.